We just came back from spending our Easter Break in Tasmania. We only had four days, which is not enough to tour this amazing island, but we still wanted to check out some of the attractions. We definitely want to come back and explore more!
We booked our flight with Jetstar from Melbourne to Launceston and we rented our car with Bargain Cars.
Below is our itinerary.
Day 1
We arrived at Launceston Airport around mid-morning and called the number for Bargain Car Rentals. There was a van waiting for us to take us to the office, located 5 minutes away, along with other passengers.
Fortunately we were the first ones to do the paperwork, packed the Hyundai Accent with our two small carry-on suitcases and off we went, headed to Hobart.
Our first stop was 10 minutes after that to get hot water for mate. We can’t roadtrip without mate, now can we?
We spent the next two hours driving across a winding road, enjoying the hilly scenery dotted with sheep and cows.
We made it to Hobart around 2 pm, checked in at our hotel, the Waterfront Lodge, and after hearing that our plan for the afternoon was closed due to the holiday (it was Good Friday after all, one of the only days some places shut down), we went for a quick lunch in McDonald’s and then headed to the famous MONA.
MONA is not exactly what you would expect in a place like Tasmania, where nature is the main attraction, but this museum (Museum of Old and New Art to be exact) is something else. It is a huge labyrinth-like cave full of strange art pieces, such as a fat car, an oil well that creates the illusion of infinity and a chemical that resembles the smell of a sewer. We totally recommend this place to anyone visiting Hobart!
It’s not cheap, at $28 AUD per person. If you want to take the boat from the Brooke Street Pier, you have to add an extra $22. We chose to save the money and drive there.
After MONA we drove to the city and walked around the docks before getting a pizza and having an early dinner at our hotel.
Day 2
We had an early start, got a cheap (and disgusting) coffee at a petrol station and off we went to the Tasman Peninsula, in the Southeast of the island. The drive takes around 90 minutes and is very enjoyable. Along the way we found roadsigns depicting a Tasmanian Devil and we saw some dead on the side of the road.
We made it to Port Arthur before 9 am, the opening time, so we were almost the first to get in. The ticket to the historic site is not cheap: $40 AUD will grant you access to the grounds, a short introductory tour and a 20-minute boat ride, all of which were fascinating.
Port Arthur showcases ruins of the first Australian prison, including the main building, a madhouse, a hospital, a church and some houses, with the backdrop of the amazing Tasman Peninsula scenery. The short walking tour is very interesting as it provided the history behind this place.
We spent all morning touring the grounds, then had lunch at the café there, which wasn’t expensive.
We started heading back and on the way made a detour to see some other things in the Tasman National Park, such as Devil’s Kitchen, the Tasman Arch and the Tessellated Pavement. Some of the coastal views were impressive.
We drove back to Hobart and walked around the city, had a beer in the Salamanca area and then fish & chips at the docks.
Day 3
Another early morning, we checked out of our hotel at sunrise and went to see the boathouses at Cornelia Bay. Nothing spectacular but it was nice and quiet, a great place for a barbecue.
Then we drove up Mount Wellington, the most famous peak in Hobart, which offers an spectacular view of the city, the sea and the mountains. The drive up the viewpoint is also amazing. If it wasn’t for the hurricane-like winds at the top we would have stayed and explored a bit more, but given the weather we couldn’t wait to go back to the car.
After that we went to the famous Cascade Brewery. Because it was very early for a beer, we just walked around the brewhouse grounds and took pictures of the famous house, but we couldn’t try any of the beers.
As we made our way north, we made a quick stop in Richmond, a small old town very close to Hobart, which is worth visiting if you’re in the area.
We then continued up the Tasman Highway, which is a very winding road across forests and then along the East Coast, until we reached Swansea, where we would stay for the night. There’s not much to see in this little town, so we sat to contemplate the ocean. We had an early dinner at the tavern and then went to bed.
Day 4
We woke up very very early and drove for an hour to reach Freycinet National Park. We got there as the visitor centre was opening, so we bought our pass ($24 AUD for the car) and headed to the most famous attraction: Wineglass Bay.
We parked the car as indicated and started the trail that would take us to the lookout. It is a 40 minute hike up the mountain. It is not hard, as the trail is in good condition, but it is uphill and tiring if you’re not fit. We had to stop a few times to catch our breaths. To be honest, we weren’t expecting to hike, we just thought it was a normal trail.
The view from the lookout is amazing. You can’t really see the full shape of the bay, which actually looks like a wine glass, but the mountains surrounding the bay make it for a spectacular sight.
After taking a few pictures there’s not much else to do there, so we headed back to the car park. There is another hike which is up Mt Amos, but that one takes a long time and it requires a lot more experience, so we obviously didn’t do it.
We then went to Cape Tourville which offers a nice view of the ocean and the national park. After that we headed to Coles Bay, the town at the edge of Freycinet, to get a coffee and some food for the long drive to Launceston.
We made it to Launceston around 1:30 pm and parked at Penny Royal, an adventure attraction for kids. We had a quick lunch, then walked around the city (it’s more like a big town, but it is the second biggest in Tassie). It is very picturesque.
As we had a few minutes to spare, we drove to Cataract Gorge, which is ok, probably fun in the summer, but nothing spectacular. We then headed towards Bargain Cars to return our Hyundai and get a lift to the airport, where we had a James Boags on tap (the Launceston local beer) while we waited for our flight back to Melbourne.